


For the fear of drowning

by EpiKatt



Series: James 'n MacCready [3]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Almost Drowning, Also wrote this on microsoft word, Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Making Out, Pneuomonia, Post-Nuclear War, Sickfic, Tags?????, The Castle - Freeform, uhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 20:40:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18289835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EpiKatt/pseuds/EpiKatt
Summary: While following after James, MacCready falls off a small cliff and into a river. He can't swim.





	For the fear of drowning

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed and unedited, enjoy owo.

MacCready was chasing after James,  rifle at the ready and pack slamming against his thigh repeatedly. James had just looked at his Pipboy and sprinted off with an exclamation, leaving behind a confused MacCready. He lost track of the other man and pushed forward faster with a breathless grunt, cresting a hill and falling through open air with a surprised cry, slamming into the water below with a choked off gasp.

MacCready started flailing helplessly. He can’t swim. He dropped his rifle, strap digging into his shoulder as he clawed toward the surface, breaking through with a great heave of air, fighting to stay above for a few seconds before being sucked back under. All MacCready knew was that he was being carried downstream, fast. He managed to break through one more time before his head slammed into a rock and the world went black.

 

 

He woke up to the quiet sound of a fire crackling nearby, straining his ears slightly for more of a clue as to where he was as he gathered his bearings.

“Ja-mes?” MacCready croaks, voice weak and throat sore. His lungs were also quite sensitive, and his ribs were aching with every breath he took.

“Mac?” Replied James, footsteps rapidly coming closer before the man  himself ducked into the downtrodden house.

MacCready became more relaxed at the sight of James, eyes softening. “Some ah, water plea’,” He asks raggedly, hardly able to push out the words.

“Fuck uh, yeah ‘course love, one sec,” Came the muttered reply. James left for a moment before returning with the requested water, which MacCready eagerly took, drinking greedily.

“Slow down or you’ll puke it up again,” James warns, eyeing MacCready. He huffs, but does surprisingly listen.

After finishing the bottle, he sets it aside and looks back at James. “What happened?”

_“Well, this is kinda my fault,” He admits sheepishly, “I found some mutts that I wanted to kill for some food, but didn’t tell you so you started chasing me and fell into a river. From what I could tell, you hit your head right before I found you and gave you the heimlich,” He explains._ _Heimlich?_

“Thanks for savin’ me,  m’gonna kill you for having me almost drown,” MacCready says drily, coughing wetly as if to make a statement.

“Yeah Yeah, love you too. Now, if you’re ready to go, I’d like to head back to The Castle, I have some things for Preston.”

“Give me an hour and I’ll be fine,” He says confidently.

 

 

Halfway there and MacCready was not fine. He was wheezing and coughing up wet hacks, worse, his lungs were on fire. James was watching him worriedly, but MacCready insisted they continue. The next two hours and he just steadily decreased, breathing becoming difficult, a challenge.

“Alright, that’s it, we’re stopping. You’re literally about to pass out,” James declares, stopping with an affirmative stomp.

MacCready blinked up at him wearily, eyes blurry and world tilting. “Some’ns wrong,” He slurs, swaying to the side a little, causing James to race forward and catch him.

He feels a cool hand on his forehead and leans into it desperately.

“Goddammit MacCready, you’re burning up,” Comes an angry murmur.

MacCready barely had the sense of mind to hun an affirmative, even if he did feel like he was freezing, he was even shivering. How could he possibly be burning up?

“Ja-, I’can’t breathe,” He wheezes out, lungs constricting painfully.

“Shh.. you’ll be fine, I’ll protect you,” James murmurs, slowly bringing MacCready to sit up against a scratchy, half-rotten tree. Even breathless and dizzy, MacCready was thinking the same thing as James.  _The nearest settlement is at least five hours in any direction._ They were in a deadzone, one of the worst places to be in this wasteland.

“James, don’t let me rest,” He growls out, gripping James’ leather jacket tightly, “hold me up if you have to, but we  _have to_ get to The Castle if I’m to have any hope.”

James looked pained at the thought of making that journey with a sick companion. “Mac..”

“Last time you left me to get help, it just got worse,” He reasons, eyes pleading and breathe coming out in weak little gasps.

James let out a resigned sigh, shoulders slumping. “At least give me your pack, so I can make it a little easier on you.”

“Go ahead,” MacCready mutters, glad to be rid of that heavy thing.

MacCready accepts a long draught of water at James’ insistince before they set off. MacCready hoped to get a few hours in before his legs go weak.

Two, slow and painful hours pass before MacCready feels himself getting lightheaded and his lungs not able to take in air fully. Another and he’s leaning heavily on James. Four and MacCready is having trouble breathing, seeing, and walking.

“Mac, are you s-“

“Yes,” He snaps, ignoring how weak it sounds. 

They trudge on.

The last hour and they can both faintly start to smell the sea. MacCready did his best to speed up, even if James was almost carrying him at this point.

MacCready was finding it harder and harder to draw in breaths. He ended up clinging to James and gasping raggedly into the man’s shoulder, desperate for air. James doesn’t complain. 

 

MacCready is roughly dragged inside The Castle walls, James demanding for help with an assertive voice, fear hidden everywhere except where his hands twitch. MacCready groans and sucks in half a breath before gagging and hacking loudly, spitting out dark clumps of green with blood flecked in.

He opens his eyes quickly when he feels himself being lifted up and carried somehwere, presumably into a back room to be treated. He’s gently set on a bed before the doctor, or whoever, starts to examine him. They lean down to listen to his breathing and then feel his temperature.

“He definitely has pneuomonia, but I can’t figure out why. It’s extremelyrare nowadays. Did he inhale something damaging?”

“He did almost drown in radiated water,” James replies sheepishly. The doctor hums disprovingly at him before getting to work on MacCready.

“Can you hear me, MacCready?”

He just gives a low grunt. 

“Alright then, listen. I’m going to give you something to sleep while I work on you. When you wake up, you should be able to breathe easier, got it?”

Another grunt. He got a hum in response before feeling a slight pinch in his arm. The room started spinning and soon he spun with it, dead asleep.

 

 

When he woke up, he only vaguely remembered yesterday’s events. Was it yesterday? Maybe James knew.. He tried sitting up but quickly put that action to an end when his lungs begged for him to stop. MacCready just groaned softly and took a heavenly deep breath, already bored and wondering when someone would return. He sat there for a while, humming a song he heard on James’ Pipboy a while back, bored. Thankfully, he soon heard footsteps and looked towards the door. 

In walks James, in suspenders and slacks, no less. It was secretly MacCready’s favorite outfit on the man. However, he’d never admit that out loud, lest it inflate James’ ego any larger.

“Mac! You’re awake! Fantastic, I can finally tell you the good news,” James says excitedly.

“Hey to you, too,” He chuckles, voice rough from disuse. 

“You know that job I took from Preston?” MacCready opens his mouth to affirm that  _yes, yes he did remember,_ but James gave him no time before barreling on, “Well, the payout was better than he originally told us,  _six hundred caps!”_ He exclaims, grinning excitedly at MacCready. Even he had to admit that that was a lot for such a basic mission.

“That is definitely a lot,” MacCready agrees, shifting a little to get more comfortable. “What’re we gonna do with it?”

“I was thinking maybe.. Buy you a new rifle? The one you have now is beat up and unreliable and I’m worried it won’t shoot when you need it. And I owe you,” He adds.

MacCready feels something warm settle in his chest that he  _hopes_ is love and not the lingering effects of the pneuomonia. “You do owe me,” MacCready agrees, grinning up at James.

James quickly leans down and steals MacCready for a sneaky kiss, pulling away just as MacCready was starting to reciprocate, prompting a huff of irritation.

“Don’t wanna strain you,” Says James, smugly.

MacCready scowls and weakly grabs James’ suspenders. “Just kiss me you bastard, like you said, you owe me,” He growls, glaring up at James.

The other man gives a dramatic sigh before leaning down and pressing his lips to MacCready’s lips firmly, both men sighing. James slowly deepens the kiss and MacCready’s grip on James’ suspenders slackens. James huffs softly in amusement and slips his tongue into MacCready’s mouth. He sure as hell wasn’t complaining.

They both groan softly, James leaning down more so MacCready could get more comfortable.  _So considerate,_ he thinks distractedly.

The both of them pull away from each other abruptly at the sound of a voice clearing at the door, Preston and his  _female_ doctor giving them bemused looks.

“Uh..” Was all they could say.

His doctor just sighs and turns to MacCready. “No smoking for a month, no strenuous  _activities_ for at least a week. Lots a’ water. Got it?”

“Yes ma’am,” He responds awkwardly. She looks as pleased as one can be after seeing her patient making out with someone and leaves. “This is James’ room, so you won’t have to leave,” She calls out. Preston just sighs and follows her out.

James and MacCready turned to each other and burst out in giggles, cheeks pink in embarrassment at being caught.

“Not the best day we’ve ever had,” James observes.

“Not the worst, either,” Muses MacCready. James agrees with a quiet chuckle.

And that was that.

**Author's Note:**

> So I've started playing Fallout 3 finally, and it seems fun, haven't gotten far enough to form a solid opinion. Some difficulties have prevented me from being able to play for a while. Check out my other Fallout fics?
> 
> *edit* So I fixed the problem. The game is quite fun.


End file.
